1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an implantable medical device and a manufacturing method therefore, of the type wherein the device is assembled from modules.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Several different ways to modularize and manufacture an implantable medical device are known.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,669 describes an implantable defibrillator in which the components of the active implantable device are housed within an implantable casing having three orthogonal dimensions of height, width and thickness. The height and width are substantially greater than the implantable defibrillator comprises three major subsystems, specifically, the batteries, the power capacitors, and the electronics. The three sub-systems lie respectively in parallel height-width planes, each plane being adjacent another in the thickness dimension.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,818 describes an arrangement that enables rapid and effective termination of electrical junctions for an implantable medical device such as a heart pacemaker or an implantable defibrillator The electronics subsystem and the battery are placed in one half of the housing that also contains the feedthrough. At this moment the battery and the feedthrough contact the electronics subsystem via female connectors on the electronics subsystem. The electrical connections are then fused welded. Following the fusion weld of the electrical connections the other half of the housing is mounted and the enclosure welded to become hermetic.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,091 describes an arrangement in which the battery is integrated with the outer enclosure of the implantable medical device.